stevens_p_on scale and abundance – rewatering the peri-urban landscapes of australia as a...
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Beyond the Edge: Australia's First National Peri-urban Conference La Trobe University Oct 2013TRANSCRIPT
On Scale and Abundance re Watering Peri-urban landscapes
Peter Stevens Prof. Tim Roberts Dr Steven Lucas
Most arid continent
Watery planet
Experimenting with nature
Water,, soil and ecosystem security?
Great Civilisations have passed away Sir Albert Howard
Honeymoon is over for ‘man over nature’ Mary E White
Response
Seamless ecology-based design
aligned with landscape
laws of the biosphere
plants and bacteria
biocapacity
Dendritic Peri-Urban
land use patterns
Dendritic Rural
drying landscapes
trends
Global Village % Populution
0%
50%
100%
150%
1910 2013 2050 2300
70% of greenhouse gases 2% of land cover.
Lowering carbon footprint vital
Atmospheric CO2 (> 400 p.p.m = Pliocene)
Anthropocentric ?
Monoculture vs. ecosystem
Desert making
Choices
Extracentric
Topocentric
P.A.Yeomans’– Keyline / H.E.R.D. 1956
Engineering centred
Andrews – Natural sequence 1975
Biocentric
irrigated dry land natural sequence
Mollison-a Permanent agriculture 1978
Ecocentric
Stevens -UoN Australia 1990-96
Holzer-Austria 2004 Kravcik-Slovakia 2007
watered landscapes
Survival landscapes
Tsum Communities - Nepal
a sense of permanence
periodic abundance
of complexity and resilience
through energy and water
Water is the driving force of all nature Da Vinci
Biophilia
a biological narrative
patterns of abundance
on any scale
Newcastle Australia EcoCity / UniverCity
Rich river delta
International wetlands
Mt Penny
Ancient soil
Fragile ecosystems
Diverse, refined biota
Largest coal port 2013
Landscape integrity 2300 ?
1989
1989
1989
1989
1989
1992
A fundamental change in thinking
to rewater the landscape
1993
1996
for amenity and comfort
2002
secure deep fertile soil
restore ecosystem complexity
recover the biota and the land
2002
2002
edenow
Guiding principles
Soil is the earth’s capital
Our yeoman service is to render fungous bridges between humus/ plants.
A new human environment model
with food as part of habitat
and a bio-stewardship culture
An ecology-based design ethos
based on scales, feathers and ferns
in a watered landscape
Growth forms and detail
living with bushfire
biochar
implications at a human scale
implications at a landscape scale
Biotic ‘Recharge’ systems
re-aligning landuse with nature’s pattern book
to scale, and in patterns of abundance
Water retention nodes all Keypoints in the landscape
‘On’ and ‘near’ contour multi-functional conduits
Deep infiltration , carbon rich soils
• Vegetation and water nodes- all keypoints and secondary ridges
• Vegetation and water nodes- all keypoints and secondary ridges • Seamless flow of all design elements so that the landform and
natural aesthetic dominates
• Vegetation and water nodes- all keypoints and secondary ridges • Seamless flow of all design elements so that the landform and
natural aesthetic dominates • Replace ‘discharge’ systems with ‘recharge’ systems
• Vegetation and water nodes-all keypoints and secondary ridges • Seamless flow of all design elements so that the landform and
natural aesthetic dominates • Replace ‘discharge’ systems with ‘recharge’ systems • Use biological and ecological processes to ensure water and soil
security, landscape and ecological integrity, and amenity
• Vegetation and water nodes- all keypoints and secondary ridges • Seamless flow of all design elements so that the landform and
natural aesthetic dominates • Replace discharge systems with recharge systems • Biological and ecological processes to ensure water and soil
security, landscape and ecological integrity, and amenity • Every element- multiple biological and ecological functions
• Vegetation and water nodes- all keypoints and secondary ridges • Seamless flow of all design elements so that the landform and
natural aesthetic dominates • Replace discharge systems with recharge systems • Biological and ecological processes to ensure water and soil
security, landscape and ecological integrity, create human scale space and amenity
• Every element - multiple biological and ecological functions • Elevate infrastructure to enable ecological functions across
contour, tenure and landuse
• Vegetation and water infiltration nodes at all keypoints and on
all secondary ridges • Seamless flow of all design elements so that the landform and
natural aesthetic dominates • Replace discharge systems with recharge systems • Biological and ecological processes to ensure water and soil
security, landscape and ecological integrity, create human scale space and amenity
• Every element multiple biological and ecological functions • Elevate infrastructure to enable ecological functions across
contour, tenure and landuse • Establish cities and towns as ‘forest’ rather than ‘desert’
ecosystems
Conventional urban settlement outcomes
Primary Ridge
Remnant bushland perceived risk
Primary Ridge
Subsidence risk
Primary Ridge
Earthquake 1989
Primary Ridge
Subsidence potential
Eucalypt bushland Tectonic events 1989
Inundation risk
Disaster OR Ecotown in the making ?
Bio / Ecological abundance ?
Bushland Campus
Regional Hospital
Developing City
Conservation area
Newcastle Hill
Biophilic / Ecotowns
Bushland Campus
Regional Hospital
Developing City
Conservation area
Newcastle Hill
High value topography >60m ASL Biophilic / Ecotown capacity
Bushland Campus
Regional Hospital
Developing City
Conservation area
Newcastle Hill
Watered landscapes High anthropocentric biocapacity
Bushland Campus
Regional Hospital
Developing City
Conservation area
Newcastle Hill
High Ecocentric biocapacity
Anthropocentric biocapacity
High value topography and orientation >60m ASL High value long term biophilic city /town potential
High value / potential for >70% vegetation cover
High value ecologically productive landscapes
Kate Flint, author
Conventional peri-urban landuse
Primary Ridge
Remnant bushland ‘perceived risk’
Primary Ridge
‘ Developable’ landscape Currently low Anthropocentric biocapacity
Primary Ridge
Currently low value Ecocentric biocapacity
Primary Ridge
Current low value ad hoc biocapacity
Landuse aligned with biocapacity
Forest like Bio/ Ecotown models
Ecologically productive landscapes
>70% vegetation cover
Biophilic / EcoCity modelling
Primary Ridge
High value watered landscapes High Anthropocentric biocapacity
Primary Ridge
Watered landscapes, High value Ecocentric biocapacity
Ecologically Engineered
High value watered landscapes High Anthropocentric biocapacity
Ecologically Engineered
Watered landscapes, High value Ecocentric biocapacity
Biologically developed
High value watered landscapes High Anthropocentric biocapacity
Biologically developed
Watered landscapes, High value Ecocentric biocapacity
• Vegetation and water nodes- all keypoints and secondary ridges • Seamless flow of all design elements so that the landform and
natural aesthetic dominates • Replace discharge systems with recharge systems • Biological and ecological processes to ensure water and soil
security, landscape and ecological integrity, and amenity • Every element- multiple biological and ecological functions • Elevate infrastructure to enable ecological functions across tenure
and landuse • Establish cities and towns as forest ecosystems rather than desert
ecosystems • Connect peri-urban landscapes at ‘root, branch and canopy level
to secure energy and water
Peter Stevens [email protected]
+61 431 333 337 Tom Farrell Institute
University of Newcastle,
Australia
Prof. Timothy Roberts Dr Steven Lucas